Oak Cottage - Loweswater

Retreat to the quiet of the Western Lakes

The Cottage, and  the view up the Buttermere Valley
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Time and place : 17 / 07 / 03 Mosedale and Hen Comb, Cumbria. 10am start.

Occasion : A Voluntary Warden Patrol with Derek Tunstall, Ann and our (four) dogs.

Weather :Overcast and very humid, a few brief light showers. Home before the heavens opened !!

Walk details : 7.5 mls 2020 ft of ascent, 5.5 hours.

 

After meeting at the National Park Car Park next to the Fish Hotel, we headed for Scale Bridge, which took us over the river which joins Buttermere to Crummock Water.

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The purpose for the day was to inspect the path, gates and bridges in the Mosedale area, and to report back. We were also representing the Park Authority, and were available to offer advice and information if requested. Good job we were walking in our own local area, so we stood a chance with the geography questions at least !

Above pics show the Crummock and Buttermere Valley overcast with some high level mist. It fails to give any idea though, of the high temperature and humidity levels - perspiration, or were we just "showing the heat greatly".

What was everyone looking at ?

Scale Force Waterfall, the highest single drop waterfall in the Lakes, hidden in its deep ravine.

Talking to Derek, I mentioned that the Floutern Pass seemed to have escaped the rigours of the industrial past, only to be shown these old buildings. They were apparently the mine buildings for the Red Gill Mine, a short lived venture that prospected for Iron ore below Floutern Tarn (Lev.dis)( map ref O/L 4.128170). There was even a plan at one time to extend the railway from Rowrah to Floutern to carry the ore. However the mine was never profitable enough.

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"Duty Calls" - one gate locked on the bridleway.

The middle gate had fallen down (rusted bolt on bottom hinge) but was temporarily repaired (pic 3)

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Top of Hen Comb - the cottage is over there somewhere Derek . . . Oh yeh there it is, to the left of Mellbreak !!

We fixed the gate, but no chance of fixing this one.

A deliberate case of vandalism akin to the "Chain Saw Massacre" Someone doesn't like walkers/cyclists/horseriders, or for that matter, all three. The bridge had been deliberately cut through. This apparently is not the only instance of this type of damage locally in these parts of the Lakes.

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On a brighter note, the flowers here were superb, spotted orchids, Butterwort and Sundew(red) the last two are both insectivorous plants.

On our return to the main valley, the sun was shining and a light shower had cleared the air.

In the foreground is the sheepfold below Scale Force, with Rannerdale behind.

An unusual view of Fleetwith, with Crummock Water in front for a change.

Back to the car at the end of an interesting day. Thanks Derek.

 

Technical note: Pictures taken with a Canon IXUS 400 Digital camera.

Resized in Photoshop, and built up on a Dreamweaver web builder.

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